Heretofore, as measures against theft of a PC, there has been known a technique of mechanically coupling the PC to a stationary member (e.g. desk) using a coupling cord, such as a wire, to fasten the PC to its setup location in a non-removal manner. Generally, an existing commercially-available PC is not formed with a hole for penetratingly receiving the coupling cord. Therefore, before using the coupling cord, it is necessary to prepare a hook member formed with a hole for penetratingly receiving the coupling cord, and bonding the hook member onto a surface of the PC. The hook member bonded on the PC surface is extremely hard to be detached therefrom. If a user attempts to forcedly detach the hook member, a housing of the PC is likely to be damaged. Thus, there is the need for providing an improved PC antitheft device.
In an intranet configuration designed to connect a plurality of PCs to a server via a hub, each LAN cable is designed to be mechanically connected to the hub in a detachable manner. This causes an undesirable situation where the LAN cable is detached from the hub, and the PC mechanically connected to the LAN cable is moved out together with the LAN cable. Thus, in the intranet configuration, even if the PC is fastened to its setup location using the above coupling cord, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient antitheft effect.
A LAN cable for a local area network or an intranet has a connector integrally fixed to an end thereof and adapted to be removably inserted into a socket of a PC or into a socket of a hub. However, the conventional connector is not designed to sufficiently prevent occurrence of troubles, system failures, to be caused by intentionally or erroneously pulling out or removing a LAN-cable from the hub or by intentionally or erroneously inserting a wrong LAN-cable into a socket of the hub.
Further, when a PC-maintenance staff checks a state of PC antitheft or a state of connection between a PC and a hub, it is essential to distinguish a LAN-cable of the PC to be checked (target PC). Heretofore, the PC-maintenance staff had no choice but to distinguish the LAN-cable of the target PC only based on a shape and/or color of a connector of the LAN-cable inserted in the hub. Thus, if the LAN-cable connector is similar or identical in shape and/or color to other LAN-cable connectors, the PC-maintenance staff cannot adequately check the PC antitheft state of or the connection state.
In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lock assembly capable of substantially precluding a PC from being moved out so as to obtain an antitheft effect in a simplified structure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a lock assembly capable of fastening a PC to its setup location without attaching any other additional member to a housing of the PC, so as to obtain an antitheft effect.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a lock assembly capable of locking a LAN-cable connector inserted in a socket of a PC in such a manner as to preclude the PC from being moved out so as to obtain an antitheft effect.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a lock assembly for use in an intranet configuration designed to connect a plurality of PCs are connected to a server via a hub, capable of locking a plurality of LAN-cable connectors inserted, respectively, into a plurality of sockets of the hub in such a manner as to prevent the LAN-cable connectors from being removed the sockets and thereby preclude each of the PCs connected to the LAN-cables from being moved out so as to obtain an antitheft effect and an effect of preventing occurrence of troubles to be caused by improperly inserting or removing the LAN-cable connectors.
It is other object of the present invention to provide a lock assembly capable of, during an operation for checking a state of PC antitheft or a state of connection between a target PC and a hub, allowing the target PC to be reliably distinguished without relying on a shape and/or color of a connector of a LAN cable connected to the target PC.